Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
More happy than not
Adam Silvera
More happy than not
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Adam Silvera
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes. Its HootRating code, IE, means intense content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
What would you do if your memories could be changed? Aaron Soto faces big challenges after losing his dad and feeling alone in the Bronx. When he meets Thomas, feelings grow, but will changing memories help or hurt more?
Quick Assessment
Sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto is grieving his father's suicide and struggling to find happiness again in a near-future Bronx, where he is tempted by a memory-alteration procedure. His growing feelings for a new friend, Thomas, stir tension with his girlfriend and friends, and the story also depicts a suicide attempt, child abuse, domestic violence, abusive parents, parental death, alcohol and drug use, and a bully's beating. Its mature content is handled with emotional honesty rather than graphic detail, making it best suited to older teens who can discuss grief, identity, and difficult family situations with a trusted adult.
Why we rated More happy than not IE (Intense)
More happy than not is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 295 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.
We rate More happy than not as IE (Intense, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Child Abandonment, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Alcohol Abuse, Drug Use, Bullying, Parental Death.
Thematically, More happy than not explores friendship, coming of age, family, romance, and social justice — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Family book clubs, classroom read-alouds, and parents who want a strong conversation hook.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, coming of age, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 13 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
For Parents
Content Intensity
IE · Intense · EmotionalReading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate
Heavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
7/10Rich themes that spark meaningful family conversation. Great for book clubs and read-alouds.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781616955601
- Pages
- 295
- Publisher
- Soho Press
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction